Sunday, October 26, 2008

Creating Inspiration

It has been doing it for itself. In other, more intelligible words, I mean that the outside sources I have been cultivating have been creating inspiration themselves, so this creation has not been an outward act, but more of a happenstance. It is nice when it is like that.

I just finished reading two books - "Pontoon" by Garrison Keillor on Saturday, and "American Myths: What Candians Think They Know About the United States" today. "Pontoon" got me all Minnesota-reminiscent, a lovely feeling. It is good to ponder on what it is about home that makes it so. I have been exchanging thoughts with Nikki (the friend recently relocated to Australia) about what makes a place what it is, and she suggests that it is the people. I have found that to be both true and untrue in the last few weeks. In thinking about it, indeed, Minnesota is as mystical as it is for me largely due to the people that make the surroundings what they are. However, the starting place for Calgary is just the opposite - dance, the thing, the action, is making Calgary what it is and is giving it a reason for existence in my life, and the people have worked as enriching forces. In thinking about it that way, I am certainly getting my share of people suppliment up here - I have been fortunate to have amazing people at DJD and pretty great roommates. We have our rough patches, but we remember and remind each other that we would do just about anything for one another, and everything is ok. It is interesting to wonder, if put in a different set of circumstances with certain people, would they develop the same kind of importance to you? To be honest, had I gone to high school with them, I do not really know whether or not I would have gravitated toward any of my roommates. But out of circumstance, we ended up living in a house together, and for that, we have become important to one another. But I do know that their ridiculousness and openness sure has made it easier. Back to topic; I guess I am finding that places really combonation of actions and people - it is all just a matter of circumstance and perception; all the same, action/ people are two good ways to analyze this.

I have been having occasional thoughts recently of important people in my life whom I do not have regular contact with. I think the creation of seperation has pushed my mind to think in different patterns, and has brought my thoughts to these people. It is nice to take occasional checkpoints with these kind of people; the ones you know will be around forever, despite the amount of time that passes between contact. I sat down to write Kim McAndrews and email, and several huge paragraphs just spat themselves out. I could have gone on with each topic much longer than I did (not that I am longwinded - ever - No sir), but I did not feel it as a necessity - Kim and I can provide thoughts on things, that is enough, and we can jump in where we left off. Yup. She is a lifer. Another lifer - Bri. Bri called me at 1:20am here on Friday night/ Saturday morning. As I had been in the middle of a deep sleep, it would have been easy for me to ignore this call, but I thought better of it because it was Bri - that is saying something! We talked for an hour, and it was so nice to chat with her again. The reason for her lifer-status - we can tolerate each other like no other. We know when we annoy each other, but accept those things as personal habits that are a part of the whole of the person we really like. Another lifer - Sarah. Talked to her for an hour on Saturday, and the last time I talked to her was the beginning of the week. I notice that there is really no pattern here regarding frequency of communication - sometimes you can just feel effort.

Back to sources of inspiration - the books, music, news, etc, that I have been immersing myself in lately have really spurred me to create connections between thoughts and feelings and desires and observations. The more knowledge I take in, the more I realize that everything I care about is interconnected. Politics = dance = social critique = human interaction = push toward justice = fair consumer habits = discussion = thought. All full circle. I have been feeling really modivated to lay foundations for all these interests. I have been doing an especially large amount of thought on communcating the validity of jazz music and dance. I feel as though leaving here, I will have a gamut of well organized and supported thoughts I can use to support this art form I love so dearly, and to use these thoughts to lay a groundwork for bringing them back to the public of Minnesota.

Now I am just spurring random thoughts. These writings today seem to have no thesis, just as my brain did not all weekend - jumping from this program to this song/ cd to this movie to this book to the next thing that caught the frenzy of my brain - not a feeling I am used to, particularly in phase where I have plenty of process time. Could be good.

Could be good.

Went pumpkin shopping with Rebecca and Steph and our future roommate Cale on Saturday afternoon. I talked them into hauling ass to the Farmer's Market, rather than just going to the SuperStore. I think they were pleased we made the journey (it does not take a Harvard physcologist to notice that the Market has quite a bit more charm than a big-box retailer such as the SuperStore), but it was a shame that we did not have more time, as Steph had to get to work. None the less, we had a wonderful time enjoying the fall sunshine and good temperature, picking out the most endearing pumpkins that, despite their positive qualities, would still be subjected to the point of a carving knife, and making fun of each other. This, to me, was a perfect activity for a waning fall afternoon, and it made me happy to be enjoying it will my housemates. Fall and early Winter have a kind of active nostalgia that no other time of year can boast. Well, I stand to correct myself already - Summer has its moments, but the moments are of a different quality. I am looking forward so greatly to Thanksgiving with my family, beers with pals at Town Hall, Christmas shopping, putting up the tree, peppermint patties with dad, making gumdrops. Within all this foward-looking, I am simultaneously enjoying the present that is being created here in the great place of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, North America, Earth, World.